It seems like every time I log onto Twitter or YouTube the internet is celebrating the end of another celebrity’s career. As the #MeToo and #BLM movements gain more and more support every day, it is only natural for those who perpetuate unacceptable behaviour to be held accountable for their actions. Figures like Harvey Weinstein and Shane Dawson are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to exposing the dark underbelly of Hollywood and influencer culture. We as a society are no longer accepting excuses and are demanding justice. However, is “cancelling” someone really enough to incite social change?

On July 7th, an open letter was signed by various authors and academics, calling to question the darker side of cancelled culture. While they praised the rise of overdue demands following protests for racial and social justice, they point out a new set of moral attitudes has emerged. They state that these new moral attitudes weaken “our norms of open debate and toleration in favour of ideological conformity.” Now you might be thinking it’s a bit rich that J.K. Rowling, who was herself “cancelled” earlier this summer for voicing her insensitive opinions on transgender rights, has decided to sign this. I think, however, there is some truth that rings out in this letter, which is why you see countless other authors and academics who are very vocal about supporting the LGBTQ+ have signed it. 

While we should continue to challenge oppressive systems and remove questionable individuals from their positions of power, there is a fine line we have to be aware of when we buy balloons to join the latest celebration that ends someone’s career. I don’t know about you, but if Margaret Atwood signs a letter stating that we’re running the risk of stifling important social causes by decreasing room for freedom of speech and debate, I’m a little scared. I really don’t want to end up in a Gilead sort of situation.

Honestly, the biggest issue I have with the ‘cancelled’ culture trend is that the big fish who tend to get caught never seem to experience full career setbacks. Harvey Weinstein got away with decades of sexual assault and harassment despite it being common knowledge within the industry that he was a figure that women should be wary of. Only in recent years has he finally been fully charged and arrested for his crimes. Other influencers, like Shane Dawson, have gotten away with years of racist and unsavoury actions. Recently, he was called out by both Jaida Pinkett Smith and her son, Jaden, for his inappropriate comments towards Jayden’s sister Willow when she was around the age of thirteen. Jaida tweeted: ‘To Shane Dawson … I’m done with excuses’ in response to Shane’s most recent ‘Taking Accountability’ video. Honestly the video just further proves that the cancelled culture movement is inherently flawed. He has managed staying relevant for more than ten years now despite years of blackface skits and questionable jokes because he is able to manipulate the narrative to make himself a victim of the relentless ‘cancel’ culture. 

Activist Loretta Ross puts it into words best: ‘people [who participate in cancelled culture] attempt to expunge anyone with whom they do not perfectly agree, rather than remain focused on those who profit from discrimination and injustice.’ Instead of spending hours on the Twitter tag focused on ruining the career of an influencer who perpetuates unacceptable behaviour, we need to find a better, less counterproductive way to target systemic oppression. She suggests the idea of restorative justice, a concept that carries more weight and truth to it than the mob mentality of ‘cancelled’ culture. Through restorative justice, those who are in the wrong are asked to reflect and learn from their mistakes. For example, a video of the Dolan twins from 2015 resurfaced in which one of them uses a homophobic slur (which he bleeps out). Within twenty-four hours, #DolanTwinsareoverparty was trending on Twitter. However, unlike Shane Dawson who spent much of his so-called accountability video doing everything except taking accountability, the brothers addressed the issue in a video by clarifying that they had never meant to use the word in an offensive or malicious manner, but they acknowledge the power of the word itself and apologise to their viewers if they had caused offense. They stated that they now are better educated and understand how to refer to that specific word used. I’m not trying to come off as a Dolan twin stan (most of my energy goes to supporting Jason Momoa), but the open, apologetic and honest format they used to approach their past controversies is definitely something other influencers can take notes on. We don’t want empty excuses; we want you to take actual accountability and seek to better educate yourself.

That all being said, I’m definitely not dismissing the principles of social justice. Instead, I’m encouraging you to step back and try to approach each case with more compassion and thought. Context is important (although excuses like ‘it was acceptable back then’ are not considered context because let’s face it, black face is black face) and every person deserves the chance to learn to be better. We need to focus instead on those who continuously feed the systems that propagate the idea that racist or sexist behaviour is okay. Seek to educate those with hateful or misaligned judgements through debate and discussion, rather than picking up a virtual pitchfork.

Tessa Rodrigues is a fourth year student at the University of Edinburgh studying English Literature.